Insect
by SasuSakuisforalways
Summary: In which Kanda becomes irritated with an insect, begins to think metaphorically which he despises himself for , and meets an annoying OC who loses her Innocence and is turned into an akuma. But the real plot is about the relationship of a certain pair of exorcists and their... adventures.
1. Bruises

So... this hasn't exactly been the most productive week for my writing, but I have inhaled the manga of -Man. Currently, I am on chapter 159.

So this is basically something that I decided to write on a whim. I fully intend on continuing it once I reach chapter 170, because apparently it is the magical chapter for Yullen fics to be written about.

Pairings: Yullen; one sided LinaleexAllen; perhaps some LavixLinalee in later chapters

Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own -Man. If I did, there would be a lovely chapter dedicated fully to Yullen, and, currently (we can all hope right xD), there is not one... So you can infer that I have no share of this lovely, lovely, lovely series *hearts* (fanfiction does not support the arrow-symbol-thing-majig needed to make a heart)

Warnings: Language, for said exorcist who has quite the colorful vocabulary; yaoi; possibly spoilers in later chapters (will keep updated); unbetaed... Hopefully it doesn't sound like a first grader wrote this xD

Enjoy, my bunnies *likes bunnies*

* * *

"I'll kill you…I swear… I'll kill you." Hand unwavering, the raven haired exorcist slid his katana from its sheath, metal gleaming from its recent polishing. "You die now," his icy voice foretold. Kanda's deadly eyes narrowed, his sword a blur as it cut through the night, a shard of glimmering diamond under the ominous light of a single, waning candle's flame.

For a moment, silence consumed the cramped dorm room. For a moment, Kanda relaxed.

But a breath later, as Lavi and Allen strolled merrily up to the Japanese teen's door, the low-pitched, deadly and agonized groan of failure signaled its master's disappointment.

Kanda counted six individual pinpricks of pressure on the tip of his nose, and the coal-black insect gave an unknowing buzz.

Rage boiled inside the samurai's stomach, and his thoughts overflowed with acid loathing.

"Die already!"

Despite Kanda's extremely apparent and demonic infliction, insects do not understand English. The door swung open… Without a knock.

"Hey Yuu-chan," Lavi began, "Is everything alright? You look kinda pale." Kanda's body froze, but his eyes traced the untroubled fly as it disappeared out the window.

"It's your life for the insect's, rabbit," Kanda hissed lethally, a psychotic grin stretching over his thin lips as he brought Mugen to Lavi's throat. Quickly, the flamboyant red-head changed strategies.

"Allen has something to say to you privately, so I guess I'll be off now. Kay bye!" Lavi blurted out nervously, dashing back down the hall.

"Whatever the hell it is, you have thirty seconds, Moyashi," the older exorcist growled, raising the tip of his sword to the white-haired exorcist's nose.

Allen only appeared confused. "What?"

"Fifteen."

"Honestly, I don't have anything to say," Allen replied, running his fingers through his silky hair.

"Then get the hell out of my damn room, Bean Sprout!" Viciously, Kanda shoved Allen out and slammed the oak door in the boy's face.

"Ouch," the parasitic exorcist groaned, rubbing his forehead. A few steps later, a concerned Lenalee interrupted Allen's painful walk back to the cafeteria.

"Are you alright?" The girl asked as she approached Allen, removing the boy's hand from his temple to inspect a very large, purple welt that was forming on his forehead.

"Peachy," Allen mumbled, rolling his eyes. This, however, triggered immense pain, and he gasped, hunching over.

"Come on," the petite Chinese girl prompted. "Let's get that looked at." Allen did not argue with Lenalee and allowed her to lead him by the hand down the cold, stone stairwell and into the medical wing.

At the sight of the queasy looking white-haired exorcist, a certain anxious transfer from the Asian branch panicked, mumbling incoherently as she dashed back and forth wildly.

"Rohfa?" Allen inquired. "I thought you were part of the science division. The girl froze.

"Headquarters' med department was short staffed today," she chimed. "So I'm filling in."

"I'll leave him with you then," Lenalee smiled warmly, turning to leave.

As soon as her face disappeared from view, the kind expression on the Chinese exorcist's face flipped, frustration and anger painting her lovely features in shadow.

Harsh, unnecessarily loud knocking sounded at the door of a certain, angered exorcist. Said exorcist rolled over, placed the pillow over his head and growled, "go away," before closing his eyes and returning to his meditation.

"You will open this door now, Kanda Yuu, or I will rip it off its hinges," Lenalee hissed icily. Agitated, said exorcist rolled off the uncomfortable mattress and closed the distance to the door, pulling it open halfway.

"What do you want?" Kanda muttered.

* * *

Praise motivated... like everyone else. But will keep updating regardless. If you would like to criticize, I'm "down" with that...but please do not step on all my hopes, dreams, and ambitions. That is all I ask.

Until the next chapter, bunnies

~Sophia


	2. Lenalee Loses It

Greetings, bunnies. This new chapie is for _Guest_. I have no idea who _Guest _really is, but _Guest_ has noted my lack of editing and for that I apologize most profusely.

So now... On with the story I suppose.

But first disclaimer.

Okay, so if you didn't know... I don't own DGM, and I never will. But it's a gorgeous, gorgeous series...Mainly because of Kanda's gorgeous hair...

Enjoy, bunnies

* * *

"What do you want," Kanda muttered sourly. Lenalee through him a foul glare.

"You're a real jerk, you know that?" She exclaimed, landing a hard punch on the cheek of the unsuspecting exorcist. "Go apologize to Allen right now!" Lenalee hollered, distress painting her delicate cheeks pink. Kanda glared but would not allow himself to strike back.

"No way. I'm not apologizing to the damn beansprout," he growled, closing the door again.

Lenalee hissed.

"That's it. I've had it with you!" The small Chinese girl screamed.

Not half a second later, the door to Kanda's room shattered into thousands of tiny splinters, and an enraged Lenalee strode in, Dark Boots invocated. "It wasn't a choice, Kanda." With that, the female exorcist caught hold of the older boy's jacket collar and proceeded to drag her prisoner from his hiding place and around the hall into the stairwell.

Mind you, Kanda did struggle, but there was no escaping the iron grip of a murderous Lenalee. In fact, there was hardly any sense in trying; soon, Kanda's remaining strength went into insuring that he was not choked to death (any attempt at unbuttoning the jacket had resulted in failure, for the fabric had been stretched too tight.)

This situation did not please Kanda at all. He hated talking to the beansprout. He hated even being in the same room as the beansprout. He hated loosing, and, most of all, he hated apologizing. But what pleased Kanda the least was the fact that a certain red-haired, hammer wielding, too-pleased, to-be-bookman had caught sight of the pair as they passed by the dining hall, and was now dutifully following them, lecturing the swordsman in an oh-so-damn-pleased-and-arrogant manner.

"You know, Yuu, you should really try being nice to your friends sometimes," Lavi preached. "I hear it helps with relationships."

"Shut up, Rabbit," Kanda choked out. "At least I don't spend all day admiring someone from a distance." A slight blush crept to the junior Bookman's cheeks, and Kanda smirked in triumph.

Lavi quickly regained his composure and shot back "I'm not the one who's going to have to talk to the matron," with a smirk of his own.

Immediately, the smugness disappeared from Kanda's face.

"I should have killed you earlier…" The raven haired exorcist grumbled as they approached the doors to the medical wing. Lavi chuckled.

"Yeah, guess you should have, Yuu…" The doors to the medical wing were approaching far more quickly than Kanda Yuu would have liked, and an impeding aura of doom surrounded the crack in the doors where a single, bloodshot eye peaked through. "Well, guess I'll be off then," Lavi said with a wave. "Have fun, Yuu-kun!"

"Don't call me that!" The Japanese exorcist shouted.

Almost immediately after, however, Kanda wished he would have kept his voice a bit lower.

Looking chillingly more murderous than the small brunette whose hand had still not released the fabric of the science department's dearly beloved uniforms stood a silver-haired, thin-face, aging woman whom the exorcists knew only as Matron, looking about as pleased as a hairless cat thrown in a tub of cold water. The dim lighting only exaggerated her uncannily large eyes and furrowed brows, which made her seem quite like a hawk, quite like a hawk that could stare through the very depths of one's soul and see through to all the sins that that unlucky fool had every committed.

And to Matron, shouting in an infirmary was a sin…

"Just what business have you shouting in my infirmary?" She inquired acidly, her bird-like eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"It wasn't exactly my choice," Kanda muttered miserably.

"Miss Lenalee?" Matron turned to the exorcist whose blood-lusting aura still enveloped her in a cloud of venomous flames.

"Yuu," she smirked at using the Japanese teen's first name, "has come to apologize to Allen for slamming the door in his face."

Matron's face became even more deadly as she turned back to the boy on the floor. "So you're the one who sent _another _exorcist, an _additional _patient to my _short-staffed, sleepless, god-forsaken _infirmary." Kanda could see the rabbit's face—visualize the Bookman's oh-so-knowing expression. _I told you so_, the vision mocked.

Kanda closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, getting to his feet; Lenalee had released him and wandered over to the beansprout's bed. She sat, most precariously, on its very edge, but Kanda knew that her legs could support her for hours if she so pleased.

With a heavy exhale, Kanda spoke. "My apologies for disrupting your infirmary," the Japanese exorcist mumbled almost incoherently. Kanda loathed the way the words fell from his lips; they were weaker and less composed than he would have liked them to be, but what did it really matter.

The hawk-woman's wide eyes still threatened Kanda's death, but did so more subtly than they had before. "I'll accept your apology, but I believe you owe another as well," Matron hinted before inconspicuously disappearing. Everything about that woman was creepy.

Blushing, though almost unnoticeably, the raven-haired exorcist made his way across the scarcely lit space to the bed where Allen slept, one perfectly human hand peeking out from underneath the itchy, sterile sheets of Headquarters' infirmary.

Something very foreign and very obnoxious indeed pricked at Kanda's subconscious, and despite the swordsman's precision control, the tickle would not, for the life of whatever god there was, die.

In his mind's eye, Kanda created a box and shut the shapeless, soundless feeling into it, relieved when its presence slipped far enough away for his thoughts to be clear once again.

Lenalee rose from her perch, aimed a had-to-be-rehearsed glare straight into Kanda's cobalt eyes, and exited the medical wing silently. Reluctantly, the Japanese teen drew in closer to the parasitic-type exorcist, wary of Matron's uncanny ears.

"Oi, Moyashi," he grumbled quietly. Allen's eyes moved under their lids, but the white-haired boy did not stir. "Moyashi," he repeated a bit louder. Allen rolled over, shoving a clean, white pillow onto the floor, but didn't wake. "Moyashi…" Kanda poked the sleeping boy's shoulder once, then again more roughly. No response.

"God damn it Moyashi! Wake the hell—" Kanda's voice cut off when a frighteningly strong hand came down on his head.

"What did I tell you about shouting in my infirmary, idiot?" Matron spat. "The next time I hear your biggety voice, you'll wake up voiceless in one of these beds. Do I make myself clear?" Kanda grimaced at her choice of adjectives, but held his tongue.

"Yes, Matron."  
"Good. Now finish what you came here for and leave before I decide that I like you better without that tongue of yours," she hissed, her steps muffled as by the felt soles of her slippers as she strode away.

Kanda turned back to the bed, exhaling with a sigh. After several moments of discreet observation, the swordsman decided that there was no one else awake to hear him.

Kanda lowered himself so that his lips were mere inches from the boy's ear, and reluctantly whispered, "Allen." And Kanda almost wished that the boy's eyes did not flutter open, and he did wish that those silvery-white eyes were not so very close to his own. "I'm sorry," the Japanese teen mumbled.

"Huh?" Allen leaned his head to the side, quizzically.

"For slamming the door in your face, idiot," Kanda grumbled. Shock washed over the younger exorcist's boyish features, but melted a moment later as he raised both hands in front of himself and bowed his head.

"No," Allen laughed sheepishly. To Kanda's horror _The Feeling_ escaped most dubiously from its wooden prison and consumed his mind. "It wasn't your fault, really. I'm sorry for bothering you—"

"Just shut up and accept my apology, Moyashi," Kanda grumbled unhappily, absentmindedly rubbing the bridge of his nose. The Japanese teen averted his eyes, blushing faintly.

"It's A-L-L-E-N, baKanda," the white-haired exorcist sighed. "And I know you know that," Allen added with, smirking at the look on Kanda's face. "You only thought that I was sleeping."

Kanda released a long string of Japanese curse words. "You die, insect," he hissed, quietly, so as not to attract the attention of _that _woman.

"And I accept your apology, Kanda." Allen smiled innocently. Kanda glared back and began to walk away when a small hand caught his wrist. "Stay for a minute?" The swordsman sighed.

"There aren't any chairs, Moyashi," Kanda replied, rolling his eyes.

"Please?" _The Feeling _robbed Kanda of his willpower; Kanda, none-too-defiantly, rested on the edge of the bed, eyes turned toward the window. The warmth of the boy's skin still seeped through the cuff of his sleeve.

"My wrist, Sprout," Kanda grumbled.

"Oh, whoops. Sorry," Allen smiled, releasing his hold.

All too quickly, Kanda responded, "I didn't ask for an apology," blushing at an underlying meaning of his words.

"Hmm," Allen hummed, spotting the small black box which rested on the surface of the white-washed bed-side table. Curious, the parasitic-type exorcist took the box into his hands and pulled the lid off.

A cluster of carefully decorated and arrange chocolates met his hungry gaze.

Kanda eyed the purple welt on the boy's forehead. _The Feeling _sprung up again. "When will that heal?" He asked almost worriedly.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Allen replied with a smile. "Matron says it'll go away in a couple days. I just can't walk around right now 'cause I'm a little dizzy." Kanda knew what _The Feeling_ was, and he didn't like it one bit. "Huh, looks like these are from Lenalee," Allen pondered, pulling a small, pink tag from the box. "I wonder if she made them…" Absentmindedly, Kanda wondered when the girl would have had time to make chocolates, but the thought died quickly from his lack of interest. "Want one?" Allen offered.

"They're for you, idiot. Besides, I don't like sweets."

"Awe, come on, Yuu! How could you refuse one of Lenalee's chocolates?" Lavi's astounded voice appeared from directly behind Kanda's turned head.

"How long have you been there?" The Japanese teen inquired.

Lavi ignored him.

"I wish Lenalee would make me chocolates," the junior Bookman fantasized.

"So she did make these," Allen smiled.

"Yeah. Actually, Jerry and I helped her; Komui's birthday is tomorrow, and we went a little bit overkill on the amount… But these were all hand-made by Lenalee," Lavi grinned.

Silently, the Japanese exorcist slinked out, the buzz of guilt still ringing in his ears.

* * *

Please review work of lowly imperfect nerdy girl. She cherishes you as her family of readers. *hugs and kisses*

Nightie-sleepy-time Bunnies. Sophia is tired 'cuz she's up exactly one hour and thirty-one minutes past when she should have gone to bed and Sophia's treacherous, foxy friend brought a terrible ill into Sophia's house... Which has induced a tickle in the back of Sophia's lovely throat. And this greatly displeases Sophia, for though Sophia enjoys writing, the only art form that has the potential to make a living for Sophia depends her lovely soprano voice. And the tickle is the absolute bane of a singer's life.

So there, there's a little tid-bit that you probably didn't know about me.

Good night-morning bunnies


	3. President Kanda Yuu

Hello, bunnies.

Yay! I finally got around to adding some angst and the OC! I feel so accomplished now that I am following through on the things I put in the story description.

Enjoy, bunnies.

* * *

_There has to be something wrong with me_, Kanda concluded, shoving the memory of Allen's smiling face from his immediate thoughts.

Komui's birthday was the following day, and avoiding the sister-complex supervisor and the enormous party headquarters was bound to throw was at the top of the Japanese teen's to-do-list.

In fact, if he had his way, Kanda was not going to communicate with another being for the rest of the week.

There was a time in his life—there had been a time in his life when he might have enjoyed a party, might have enjoyed casually talking to another human being…

"Yuu-chan!" Kanda's thoughts cut off abruptly. "Come on, you can't hide in there all day," Lavi whined vociferously.

"Go to hell," was Kanda's response. This, of course, would not even slightly deter the hyperactive exorcist standing on the other side of Kanda's newly repaired door.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Yuu," the read-head persisted. "Every available person in headquarters is being called for a mission."

Sighing, the swordsman stalked agitatedly to the door and pulled it open.

"Details," Kanda's blank voice demanded. Laughing nervously, Lavi scratched the back of his head.

"Well, since it's the supervisor's birthday tomorrow—"

"No," Kanda growled, closing the door.

"Lenalee-chan says—"

"Just leave," the moody teen grumbled. Not a chance.

"Well, Yuu-chan. I'm really sorry I have to do this," Lavi warned. "But if you don't come down, Lenalee-chan has instructed me to play the recording of you apologizing to Allen over the loudspeaker."

Kanda wrenched the door open violently. "Die, Rabbit!" He shouted, slashing Mugen at the junior Bookman's head.

Lavi sidestepped the assault, but the sword streaked passed his cheek by a margin of only a few millimeters. "I'm sorry, Yuu; it wasn't my idea!"

"It's your damn recording!" Kanda screamed, throwing another strike at Lavi, who dodged, chuckling.

"I should tell you that Johnny is monitoring this conversation over a wireless transmitter; he has the tape down in Komui's office," Lavi smirked.

Kanda's face paled considerably, and, reluctantly, he sheathed Mugen.

* * *

"Komui is out today, so he won't suspect a thing," Lenalee smiled, giggling.

Several exorcists, including Miranda, Krory, Lenalee, and Marie, in addition to a horde of finders and the full science department scampered around, frantically cleaning the unused wing.

From across the room, a secret spectator ogled the gorgeous Japanese teen, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks.

Nothing escaped the bookman.

"Looks like you've got an admirer, Yuu-chan," Lavi cooed.

"Don't call me that," Kanda hissed. "And what the hell are you talking about, Usagi," he sneered. The red-head took no notice of Kanda's I-will-kill-you aura, pointing to the shadowed corner, where a small, blonde girl hid. The swordsman's eyes flicked over and immediately back. "Stop making up dumb shit," he muttered, striding over to the other side of the room to assist the science division. Anywhere—anything was better than the damn rabbit…aside from, of course, a certain white-haired boy, who, at the moment, was still asleep in the infirmary.

"Kanda," Johnny greeted enthusiastically. "You decided to join us after all!"

"Che."

"We're almost done cleaning," the young science division member explained from his precarious perch on one of the ladders, "so, whatever you want to help with is fine."

"Actually," Lenalee cut in, "I have the perfect job for Kanda." She smiled. "Marie, Krory, Miranda, Kristia!" She called, waving them in from across the room. "First, let me introduce our newest exorcist, Kristia." To Kanda's slight displeasure, this was the same girl Lavi had pointed out from before.

Kristia had short white-blonde hair and a pair of brown eyes. Kanda estimated the girl was about five feet two inches and around a hundred and five pounds.

"Kristia, this is Krory, Lavi, Miranda, Marie, and Kanda," Lenalee introduced. "You six are now the decoration committee, and you," she grinned, turning to Kanda, "are the committee president."

"What?" The Japanese teen's already awful mood grew worse.

"The decorations are on the far wall," the Chinese girl informed them. "Have fun!"

Fun was the last word Kanda was going to let anyone call the next hour.

Kanda detested leading positions—hell, he loathed anything having to do with other people—but this was not to say he did not make an excellent team leader.

Grudgingly, he split the committee into three teams. "Miranda, Krory: banner painting." Kanda did not trust either of them on any sort of ladder. "Marie and I will take care of hanging anything. Lavi: balloons." Miranda and Krory headed off, chatting merrily.

"Yuu-chan," Lavi whined, taking no notice of the death threat that Kanda threw him. "I think you and Kristia should put up the streamers," the red-head added with a wink.

"No," Kanda answered without a moment's consideration, noting the obvious disappointment on the girl's face. Kanda almost felt—no. He did not _feel _anything. The teams were strategically determined, nothing more; this was not about _feelings_.

Half an hour later, Kanda and Marie finished a perfectly symmetrical web of silver and gold ribbons…unfortunately, just in time to spot Miranda at the top of a twenty-five foot ladder with an enormous box of gold glitter, a spool of ribbon, and a newly painted banner. Krory stood below her, steadying the ladder. Kanda's heart dropped.

"Miranda, come down, now!" The raven-haired president shouted angrily.

"Oh, hi Kanda," she smiled, waving excitedly.

"Watch out!"

Too late.

A certain idiotic, hair-brained, red-headed exorcist came soaring across on his extendable Innocence weapon, aimed to intercept the banner-hanging operation.

Backwards.

With a loud crash, the two collided. Wood splintered, shrieks reverberated through the hall, and a massive waterfall of shining glitter rained down on exorcists.

Kanda caught Miranda deftly but intentionally let Lavi fall to the stone floor. Of course, the idiot rabbit landed on his feet, but this did not mean, however, that he was not going to clearly express his disappointment and distress.

"Yuu-chan! Why didn't you catch me?"

"Because you're the cause of this, damn rabbit!" Kanda shouted, setting Miranda down so that he could draw Mugen. "Clean it up," he hissed dangerously, threatening the red-haired exorcist with the katana. Mumbling under his breath, Lavi grabbed a broom and began to sweep up the heaps of glitter. A cluster of finders assisted the effort, and, for a moment, Kanda Yuu closed his heavy eyelids and breathed deeply, trying to relax the angry demon inside that threatened to overwhelm him and kill every single being in sight.

…And then another yelp sounded, and the Japanese youth decided that he was cursed, cursed and damned to an eternal hell for some god damned reason that he could not ascertain.

With a simple slip of the foot, Kristia toppled from her delicate position on top of the second ladder and plummeted towards the ground.

Instinct driven, Kanda darted to the other side of the room, barely in time to save the girl from, in the best case scenario, more than a few broken bones.

Still bitter, though, the swordsman released Kristia roughly, turning away. Dizzy and shaken, she staggered back into the strong arms of Marie, who steadied her.

"Thank you," Kristia whispered softly.

"Che. Idiots shouldn't climb ladders," Kanda snapped back. "Finish the decorating," he ordered, heading out.

"Don't mind Yuu-chan," Kanda heard as he reached the door. "He may act like a total asshole, but he's actually a real sweetheart."

Kanda glared bitingly at the red-haired boy. Lavi wanted to play dirty, and Kanda would not refuse a battle. "Call me that one more time, Rabbit, and Lenalee will be crying over your dead body." The blood drained from the Bookman's cheeks.

* * *

Kanda collapsed onto the uncomfortable mattress, anger and pain flooding his senses.

Even in the darkness, the lotus blossom appeared.

A single, pink petal slipped from the bloom.

Pain. Anguish. Everything hurt, every muscle, every fiber, every thought, every hope. _Damn it all_, Kanda thought, burying his face in a pillow and letting it all wash over him.

He hated himself for that. _Prisoner of the Black Order_… The rest of his limited life would be spent serving the organization which had stolen away his freedom.

The agonizing memories returned.

* * *

"_Twenty-five seconds to rebirth."_

_The child of Kanda Yuu got to his feet, shaking violently. _

"_Again."_

_The raw pain, the agonizing, consuming pain enveloped the child's form._

"_Seventeen seconds to rebirth."_

_It just looped. Over and over and over. Damn it all. Damn it all. Let me die, Kanda wanted to scream._

"_Synchro." _

_Those lecherous, repulsive feathers came, and the pain that followed them never got easier, never. _

"_Thirty-nine seconds to rebirth." _

_That face…the lotus…and then the pain. _

"_Twelve seconds to rebirth."_

* * *

_A puppet, a pawn in the Holy war_.

…_Alma_…

Another petal fell, and the woman's face disappeared. She always disappeared, just like his freedom had.

_You're weak_, he told himself. _Weak and pathetic_.

And then Kanda did something very uncharacteristic. Shunning the unpleasant thoughts, he wondered-just for a moment-how Allen was doing.

In his mind's eye, the gentlemanly youth smiled at him.

The swordsman's worries eased ever so slightly.

Kanda pulled the tie from his hair, shed his coat and shoes, and climbed under the thin sheet, slipping into dreamless sleep.

* * *

Anyways... I hope this wasn't a terribly boring chapter.

Allen kinda got excluded from the decorating crew... :(

But he'll have to show up on Komui's birthday and look for the reclusive Kanda! :D

Good morning, bunnies


	4. Gorgeous Nightmare

Okay!

So before you read this or while you read this or whatever, I would recommend listening to "Gorgeous Nightmare" by Escape the fate. Unless you detest rock music...

Anyways, so long story short I like to listen to music while I write... But only ONE song...over and Over and OVER again. So... about 200 times. Because I'm a slow poke when it comes to writing and I go back and read everything almost every other minute...

But anyways, I wrote this chapter while listening to Gorgeous Nightmare; hence the reference... You'll see what I'm talking about.

Enjoy, bunnies :D

* * *

Kanda woke a few hours later, feeling horribly tired but substantially less irritated.

He ran one hand through his long, black hair, which the man discovered to be dreadfully tangled. Kanda groaned.

After a few minutes of combing, the Japanese teen tied up his beautiful hair and grabbed Mugen, heading out onto the grounds.

* * *

Twigs snapped under his feet, but no other sound reached Kanda's ears. In all honesty, this was somewhat disconcerting, considering the forest had a healthy population of birds and other small animals.

Kanda didn't dwell on this observation.

Reaching a small clearing, the swordsman strode into its center and began with a warm up of basic exercises.

Following that, he started several routines of complex skills, growing in difficulty as he progressed. Of course, battling imaginary enemies was not the most exhilarating sport, but it gave Kanda clarity of mind, and for that he was grateful…

Until he sensed another presence in his training area.

The petite girl from earlier approached Kanda cautiously (what her name was, the swordsman could not remember.)

"Your name is Yuu, right?" She questioned innocently.

"Don't call me that," Kanda growled coldly. She stared down at her feet, a heavy blush painting her cheeks.

"I heard you training… And I figured you might want someone to practice with." Kanda turned his back to the girl and continued with his forms.

"I'm not sparring with an amateur, let alone some idiot girl." Kristia's blush grew heavier as she mumbled an inaudible apology and promptly left the clearing.

* * *

Back in the infirmary, a certain parasitic exorcist woke from his nap, starved and eager to assist Lenalee with the party preparations.

Allen inspected the bruise on his head, noting that it had almost completely disappeared.

With a blush, Allen remembered who had given the injury to him… The same person who had finally called him by his first name… Even if had only been once and even if he would never hear it again.

"Matron," the white-haired boy called. Wearily, the head nurse ducked her head in.

"What is it, Walker?" She asked, exhaustion in her voice.

"May I be discharged now?"

The woman inspected Allen's bruise carefully, and, after a moment's consideration replied, "Yes, but please be careful."

"Absolutely, Matron. Thank you."

Walking through the nearly deserted halls of headquarters, Allen felt slightly apprehensive about wandering around the building; the white-haired exorcist was about as proficient at finding his way around as Lavi was at keeping a certain moody exorcist calm.

"Allen?" The small boy turned at his name.

"Yes?" General Tiedoll headed towards him, not exactly hastily, but definitely with purpose.

"The supervisor would like to speak with you," Tiedoll informed him, a note of concern in his baritone voice.

"Alright," Allen answered. "If it's not too much trouble, would you mind pointing me in the right direction?" The boy asked weakly.

The general gave a small nervous chuckle before answering. "Down that hall and up the stairs," the artist directed, pointing to the darkened corridor on the left.

"Thanks. I'll be off then," Allen said, giving a slight nod of the head. The parasitic exorcist headed off to Komui's new office.

* * *

"Mr. Walker," Komui greeted harshly, causing Allen to wince.

"Yes," the boy replied warily, disturbed by the supervisor's rough tone. He glanced nervously around the office, slightly amused by the fact that, even though they had just moved into this building, every surface was covered in haphazard heaps of unsigned papers.

Out the supervisor's large window, Allen observed a gorgeous sun setting over the sparkling ocean water.

"Take a seat." Allen obeyed, sinking into the upholstered chair on the opposite side of Komui's desk.

"You must understand," Komui began sternly, lacing his fingers and leaning into the desk, "that as Lenalee's older brother, I am inclined to ensure her safety,"

"Umm. I'm not sure I understand, Supervisor," Allen responded politely, having not the slightest clue what the dark-haired man was referring to. Komui raised an eyebrow, coal eyes narrowing as he stood and spun around to face the window.

"Mr. Walker, it seems to me that you have had more contact with my dear Lenalee than one would expect from someone who has only known her for a matter of months; I would like to know the nature of your relationship with her."

Allen about choked at Komui's words. "It's not like that," Allen replied, ingenuously startled. "It's nothing like that, I promise. Lenalee is just a good friend—"

"Don't lie, Walker," Komui hissed, facing the pale-faced exorcist again. "If what you say is true, what is this?" The supervisor pulled an envelope from his pocked and violently slammed the piece of rose pink stationery down on his desk, facing Allen.

Allen only read the first line before putting it away, blushing.

_Dear Allen, _

_ I know we don't get to spend a whole lot of time together, and I have to tell you something._

"What is this?" Allen exclaimed, a bit swimmy in the head.

"That's my question for you, Walker. Now answer me!" Komui's hands crashed down on the hardwood surface, sending several stacks of papers tumbling to the floor.

"I have no idea! Honestly! Maybe it's Lavi's idea of a joke or something! I don't know!" Allen threw up his arms in exasperation.

"Then explain to me what this is as well!" Komui growled shoving another paper into the small boy's hands.

_Lenalee, _

_ I'd like to talk to you too. Can we meet on the training grounds tonight?_

_Yours, _

_ Allen Walker_

"Wha—I didn't write that!" The parasitic exorcist looked genuinely shocked, but Komui was not going to let this ordeal slip passed him.

"Oh really?" Bloodlust radiated from the man's body. "Who did then?"

"I have no idea!" Allen retorted. "Lavi maybe—"

"This doesn't match the Bookman's handwriting," Komui interrupted, still intent on killing the boy.

"Honestly, I don't know then," the white-haired boy replied nervously.

Komui's anger did not diminish one bit. "So you mean to tell me that you did not write this and that you are not interested in my lovely, innocent sister?"

"No!" Allen shouted, flustered and frustrated. "We're just friends!"

"Then why did you receive chocolates from her this morning?"

To save his own life, Allen let his tongue slip. "Jerry, Lenalee, and Lavi were making chocolates for your birthday," he admitted. "They had extras so Lenalee brought some to me when I was in the infirmary!" The Chinese man still looked doubtful.

"You really have no romantic interest in my sweet Lenalee?"

"No!" Allen sighed for the umpteenth time.

"I don't believe you," Komui decided. "I think it's time for you to meet Sir Kamlin the Eighth!"

Terrified of the approaching machine, Allen became desperate. "It's true! I swear! I'm not interested in Lenalee! There's someone else!"

Komui paused for a moment, bringing his hand to his chin. "Oh really, Mr. Walker?" Sir Kamlin drew uncomfortably close to the boy. "And who would that be?" The exorcist swallowed, and a blade pressed to his thin neck. "I think you're making this up. I won't let you get away with lying to me—"

"It's Kanda!" Allen blurted out. Komui's expression warped, shock replacing the anger in the man's face. "I-I like Kanda okay," Allen repeated more quietly, suddenly finding the office's chaotic floor captivating.

Nothing filled the room but silence, awkward silence that persuaded Allen's cheeks to become substantially pinker each second.

The supervisor picked up his 'conclusive evidence,' shoving the papers back into his pocket. "Dismissed," Komui finally said, devoid of any emotion.

"Umm, Supervisor," the boy mumbled quietly. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" Allen felt dizzy, his heart was racing, and a sick feeling had replaced hunger in the pit of his stomach

"Tell them what?" Komui asked, curiously.

The silver-headed exorcist blinked a few times, trying to gauge the man's response.

"Thanks," Allen breathed, slipping soundlessly from the office, heading for the roof; he liked to think there.

Allen wanted to hide, hide from sight and never come out. Shame and humiliation washed over the boy in waves.

He hadn't even consciously registered his feelings for the older boy until a few days previous, and now someone already knew his dying secret; Allen had been determined to take it to the grave, as he suspected the grave was quite a bit closer to him now.

And that was another thing to grieve over. Allen didn't want to die—didn't want to fall under the fourteenth's control.

Allen didn't want to slip under.

_I just wanted to protect people! Is that really too much to ask? Honestly, if there is a god_, Allen thought, _he certainly didn't get the memo_.

But Allen then realized another desire, a selfish desire that he rejected instantly.

_It's not even a possibility_, he agonized.

In the first place, Allen was thoroughly convinced that the Japanese exorcist hated him. And in the second place, there was no time or place for relationships, given their duties and Allen's current position.

Because the fourteenth was asleep—thanks to a particularly violent battle with Rhode Kamelot, in which Allen had been severely wounded—and because the inspector was needed in the American branch, Leverrier had sent Link away, and Allen was currently free of twenty-four hour surveillance.

Whenever he began showing signs of the fourteenth awakening, however, Allen was bound to be placed under the watchful gaze of the higher-ups again.

Allen cursed the fourteenth, cursed the Millennium Earl, cursed the church, the holy war, and cursed his master, Cross.

_Why_? He asked, unsure of whom he was asking for the answers. _Why did it have to turn out like this_?

Then Allen's thoughts moved to Kanda, and he instantly pitied the raven-haired exorcist instead. Kanda's past… had been so much more terrible than his own.

Allen felt the sting of tears in his eyes as the memory of the other exorcist's pain swept over him, terrifyingly raw and piercing.

_How much did he really go through_, Allen wondered. _He had a life before this one_… Tears slipped down the boy's face as he stepped out onto the roof; Allen kept his head down.

Unfortunately, this meant that Allen did not see the figure he was approaching, and he ran straight into Kanda Yuu.

"Oi, Moyashi. Watch where you're going," Kanda groaned. "Idiot." The man began to walk away, but Allen grabbed his wrist.

"Kanda…" It was then that the Japanese exorcist spotted a trail of silver on the boy's cheek.

"Wait, are you crying?" Allen didn't reply. "Emotional idiot, go cry in your own room," the swordsman muttered, attempting to shake off Allen's grip. When the boy would not release him, Kanda drew Mugen.

"Oi, beansprout. Do you want to die?" Kanda immediately realized that, despite the fact that this was one of his catch-phrases, it probably wasn't a good thing to say, considering the situation.

_The Feeling_ found its way out of its box again.

_Die, insect_, Kanda thought, swatting _The_ _Feeling_ away from his thoughts.

It resisted. _God damn it, die! _

Obsessed with ridding himself of the annoyance, Kanda forgot where he was and just who was _still _clinging to him, and began viciously fighting with himself.

Somewhere in his subconscious, the Japanese exorcist knew how to rid himself of _The Feeling_; however, the swordsman's pride battled this instinct fiercely.

In the end, _The Feeling_ won… Just like it always did when things concerned the beansprout…

"Damn it all," the swordsman growled. "Sorry," Kanda mumbled. "That was…inappropriate." _The Feeling_, victorious, disappeared, and Kanda inwardly cursed himself for becoming so soft.

The small boy before him looked up with puffy, swollen eyes, tears still streaking down his cheeks.

Oh, how Kanda loathed seeing the boy in tears; it struck one of the forbidden chords inside of him, one of the chords that captured an unimaginably, hazardously unpleasant and meditation-breaking amount of his attention.

"I-idot," Kanda stuttered. "Stop crying for god's sake."

"I'm sorry," Allen whispered, voice laden with anguish. His sobs continued.

"Damn it, Moyashi. Stop," Kanda pleaded. Allen's form began shaking lightly, and the cries, though quieter now, continued.

Oh, Kanda despised what he was about to do.

_No_, he told himself.

Kanda's body ignored him, and the Japanese exorcist drew the boy into his arms, squeezing the petite form tightly.  
_You disgust me_, Kanda told himself_. This is gross and sappy and stupid!_

Allen's eyes opened wide at the swordsman's embrace, his heart beating frantically.

"Kanda—"

"Shut up," the elder of the two snapped back.

Though the gesture was quite pleasant, the way Kanda was holding him felt slightly awkward, for the boy's hands had been pressed to his face and his arms were now trapped snugly between their two bodies.

Allen adjusted, freeing his arms and wrapping them around the raven-haired boy's neck, lifting his heels an inch from the ground.

The older boy released him far too soon, mumbling incoherently, and Allen's stomach growled loudly.

_Never again_, Kanda assured himself.

"If you're done crying, you should go eat something, stupid. Your stomach is freakishly loud."

Allen smiled, laughing.

"Kanda."

"What?"

"Thank you," Allen smiled. The Japanese man inspected one of the enormous trees that covered the landscape. "Do you want to go get dinner?"

"Che, whatever," the swordsman sighed halfheartedly, rolling his eyes.

Allen did not miss the light dusting of pink on the man's cheeks.

* * *

"The usual?"

"Yes please," Allen replied, smiling at the pink-haired chef.

"And yours too, Kanda?" Jerry asked.

"Yeah," Kanda replied casually.

* * *

The two sat across from each other, silently enjoying their meals.

Every once in a while, Allen would glance up at the beautiful man, only to meet his eyes and immediately avert his gaze, blushing. At each flick of the eyes, Kanda became slightly more agitated.

After what had to be the thousandth time, the swordsman snapped. "What? What do you want, Moyashi?" He shouted, jumping to his feet.

"N-nothing. Sorry," Allen replied sheepishly.

"Whatever." Kanda rolled his eyes and sat back down to finish his soba and tempura.

From across the dining hall, Lavi eyed the pair with insatiable curiosity.

* * *

When Kanda and Allen had finished and deposited their dishes at the counter, the Bookman's apprentice began to follow them, catching every motion and every word, no matter how subtle.

Of course, the red-head noted a not-so-subtle detail as well.

Kanda and Allen's rooms were in different wings of the building, however, the older man walked with the white-haired boy until they reached Allen's room _before_ heading off in the direction of his own room.

A smirk stretched across Lavi's lips. This soon turned into a maniacal smile. _So Yuu-chan isn't completely heatless after all…_

Allen was still contemplating Kanda's odd behavior, blushing all the while, when a knock sounded at his door.

"Hey Allen!"

"Lavi?" Came a small, anxious sounding voice.

"Yeah," the flame-haired exorcist replied happily.

"Coming," Allen called, getting to his feet.

When the door opened, Lavi sprung through the frame eagerly_. Kanda's right about the rabbit part… But he's more like a rabbit on crack_, Allen observed inwardly.

"Spill," Lavi commanded grinning.

"Huh?"

"You know," the six one, red-head smirked.

"Know what?" Allen found this severely confusing. Lavi's smirk only grew larger.

"The way you were looking at Yuu," the older boy grinned. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about…" The blood drained from Allen's face.

* * *

I had fun writing that. A LOT of fun.

So anyway. Another short story about Sophia.

My family is moving soon, and we found a caretaker for our cats, so my mission this week has been to capture a human-hating feline by the name of Kona.

Today, I managed to do it, somehow.

My dad accidentally opened the door and let the cat out...

Thanks, Dad.

I love you all, bunnies.

Reviews appreciated by lowly writer whose father still tells her to go to bed xD


	5. Blue Lagoon

Good afternoon, bunnies.

I hope this chapter is as much fun for you all to read as it was for me to write.

Enjoy~

* * *

"The way you were looking at Yuu. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about." The blood drained from Allen's face. "You're in love with Yuu, aren't you, Allen." The silver-headed boy turned his eyes down to the not-so-interesting floor.

Komui's floor actually held some entertaining value, as most of it was covered in blueprints of horribly destructive inventions.

The floor in Allen's bedroom was stone… plain, cold stone. Allen silently thanked the dim lighting for obscuring most of his tomato-red blush.

The Bookman chuckled lightly. "So I was right," Lavi hummed contentedly. "No worries, Allen; I know just what this calls for!" Horror crossed the parasitic exorcist's face.

"Lavi, whatever you're planning…please don't do it," Allen moaned, past the point of embarrassment and now seriously concerned about his own wellbeing.

"Come on, Allen! At least let me tell you about it," the red-head whined, pushing out his bottom lip into a pouty face. "Please?" In an attempt to sound composed, the smaller exorcist decided to copy Kanda.

"You have thirty seconds," Allen grumbled, putting as much acid into his voice as he could. Hopefully, this would dissuade the Bookman.

"Alright!" Lavi exclaimed enthusiastically. "So tomorrow is Komui's birthday, and Yuu-chan hates parties, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess so," the smaller boy answered.

"Yuu-chan will probably wander off to go meditate instead," the to-be-Bookman continued.

"I don't see where this is going," Allen mumbled.

A feral grin spread across the red-head's lips. "Yuu-chan can't meditate if you don't let him…"

"I don't get it. And this is stupid. It doesn't matter what plan you come up with, because he'll probably just slice off my head the second he sees me—"

"Not if he doesn't see you," Lavi chuckled.

"Lavi, this is going nowhere…"

"Okay," the eighteen-year old grunted. "So maybe I didn't have an extremely brilliant plan…" That was a lie. "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to get his attention tomorrow."

Allen groaned. "Please, Lavi. Just let this go." _Komui and Lavi_. Two partially insane, hysterical, demented men now knew his secret; this was not going anywhere good.

"Come on, Allen. You have to do something!"

"Why are you so insistent?" Tears threatened to spill from the boy's eyes. His tone sounded rough and broken. "Even if he did feel the same, Kanda's been through so much pain already, and there's no guarantee that I'll be me come tomorrow!" Allen shouted. The hot salt-water slipped silently down his flushed cheeks. "I may not even have another hour!"

"Then you should definitely tell Yuu about your feelings for him," Lavi countered without hesitation. "It's not like you'd be able to hurt him; trust me, Yuu-chan may look like a girl, but he isn't delicate by any standard."

Allen swallowed hard, still crying. "I just—"

"Stop worrying, Allen," Lavi said more genuinely. "Just live your life without regrets." Normally, the white-haired boy would do his best to avoid doing what the red-head said that he should, but, for once, Lavi had a point.

Allen wiped his face on his sleeve.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," the younger exorcist conceded. "But how on earth I'm going to manage to live through this is beyond me," Allen laughed.

"You know," Lavi whispered. "Yuu isn't as heartless and violent as everyone thinks he is." Having said this, the Bookman vanished, leaving Allen very much more confused and apprehensive of what he had decided to do.

* * *

Sleep didn't come to the exorcist.

Each time Allen attempted to clear his mind, an image of Kanda would appear and then he would have to start all over again.

After three hours of fruitless meditation, the parasitic exorcist's stomach grumbled loudly.

"Great," Allen mumbled, flipping back his bed sheets and shuffling out of bed. He certainly wasn't going to be able to sleep on an empty stomach.

_Next destination: Kitchen._

* * *

The halls of Headquarters were strangely animated after the sun went down; most of the science division's teams worked almost twenty-four hours a day, and a good number of the Order's occupants tended towards the nocturnal side.

Allen didn't mind it; it meant that the kitchen would be open regardless of the absurd hour.

Severely sleep deprived, the white-haired boy did not notice the shape of the small blonde-girl around the corner until he had walked into her.

"I'm so sorry," Kristia apologized, bowing.

"Oh no, it's my fault!" Allen replied. _Looks like I'm making a habit of running into people lately,_ Allen thought. "Your name is Kristia, right?"

"Yes," the girl replied politely. "Actually, I'm looking for my room. I haven't been here very long, so…" Allen laughed sleepily.

"Unfortunately," the boy explained. "I don't think I'd be much help; I still manage to get lost in this place." The pixie-like girl laughed delicately, smiling at Allen.

"That's alright," she replied. "There are plenty of finders up right now. I'm sure one of them can help me.  
"But thank you for being so kind. Honestly, a few of the exorcists here scare me," she admitted.

"Don't mind Kanda," Allen advised knowingly. "He's not very good with people."

"I've noticed," she sighed. "Is he always like that?"

"Pretty much," the white-haired boy returned. "I doubt even Lavi really understands him."

"Hm. Well, I guess I'll see you later, Allen," Kristia hummed, dashing off to locate a finder who could direct her to her room.

* * *

After a good helping of Jeryy's beef and broccoli stir-fry, the parasitic exorcist headed back to bed, falling into a light, nervous sleep.

* * *

Allen woke all too soon to the shouts of a certain obnoxious red-headed bookman. "Come on, Allen! We really have to throw party prep into full gear if we want to get everything in place before Komui gets back!" Allen groaned sleepily.

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a couple minutes, would you?"

* * *

Today was the day of that god-forsaken party, and Kanda would have nothing to do with it. Absolutely nothing.

Sitting two stories underground in one of the castle's numerous training spaces, the raven-haired swordsman began his daily meditation_. There are not two hundred people upstairs_, he deluded himself. _It's just an unusually large meeting. __That most of the exorcists will be attending... and where Lavi will most likely become intoxicated... And most likely think up some hair-brained scheme to use on me... Which will involve the Moyashi. _

_Damn rabbit... Calm..._

_If that redhead tries anything funny, I will sever his head with Mugen. There is nothing more to it. _

_But what about the Moyashi, _another part of Kanda's mind reminded him.

And then the Japanese man remembered that he was meditating and growled at himself for having become so distracted. _I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, _the swordsman decided.

* * *

Fully decorated, the normally dusty wing became a shimmering enchantment, with reflective gold and silver ribbons cascading down from the ceiling and glittering in the light of a massive crystal chandelier.

Throughout the room, formally dressed attendants socialized casually, enjoying an array of alcoholic beverages and sweets.

Allen's eyes scanned over the parties' hundreds of guests, looking—hoping that a certain dark-haired teen was among them and knowing that the swordsman would, invariably, contain himself to the quite zones in the building when anyone held any sort of event.

Lavi wandered over.

In all honesty, the overly-enthusiastic, flame-haired exorcist cleaned up nicely...very nicely. In fact, the redhead would have been stunning had there not been a heavy pink on his cheeks. _I should have known he'd be drinking_, Allen mused. _Figures_.

"Hey Allen," Lavi grinned mischievously. _Oh boy_… "Try this!" The energetic red-head held out a glass filled with neon blue liquid.

"I really wasn't planning on drinking—"

"Come on!" Lavi insisted. "It's great. I promise!" _If I taste it, maybe it'll appease him_.

"Fine," the white-haired exorcist agreed, taking the chilled glass into his hands. Allen lifted it to his nose and inhaled the far-too-alcoholic scent of the drink.

"What the—exactly how much alcohol is in this?" Allen demanded.

"Mmm… I don't know," Lavi snickered. "Go on!" Tentatively, Allen took a tiny sip of the neon blue concoction. It was sweet…very, very sweet. _Actually, this isn't bad_, he thought.

"Told you it was good," Lavi smirked, responding to the boy's facial expression. "

_I don't think it would hurt if I had just one…_

* * *

Three drinks later, the parasitic exorcist's head was spinning. Words and images all began to blur into one massive vortex of colors and sounds, and Allen sported an enormous, drunken smile that would not have vanished even if a certain raven-haired swordsman had run the boy through with Mugen.

On a whim, Allen decided that he'd rather enjoy a walk around the massive castle, and that was when the white-haired teen got the brilliant idea to go looking for Kanda.

Proceeding that, he decided to announce his activities to the group of exorcists and scientists in the center of the room.

"Hey Lavi-chan!" Allen called happily. "I'm gonna go look for Yuu-kun! Where do you think that beautiful man could be?" Allen giggled happily, shifting his weight back and forth as he smiled to himself.

Reever, Johnny, Lenalee, Bookman, Miranda, Krory, and Marie all stared, open mouthed, at the small boy, while Komui's face betrayed no emotion and Kristia merely looked confused.

Lavi smiled brilliantly…

"That's a good question!" The red-head exclaimed all-too-happily, knowing _exactly_ where the Japanese teen was hiding out. "Maybe you ought to check the training room on the fifth level."

"Why that one?" The white-haired boy inquired, tilting his head to the side, his boyish face looking oh-so-sweet and innocent.

"I dunno," Lavi shrugged, smirking. "Yuu likes quiet places."

Allen appeared to contemplate the suggestion for a moment, toying with a strand of his soft, silver hair "Good idea!" He exclaimed, skipping away.

* * *

When the sixteen year-old had crossed beyond hearing range, Komui's voice broke the silence.

"Lavi...what did you give him and how much?" Lenalee looked horrified, and she balled her small hands into fists at her side.

"Hmmm. I think it was called a Blue Lagoon," the redhead answered. "And I'd say he's had three glasses," Lavi chuckled.

Johnny pulled out his calculator. "According to my calculations," the scientist began. "Allen should be completely sober in approximately ten hours and fifty four minutes."

"Lavi!" The cheongsam-clad, Chinese girl shouted. "You idiot; he'll get sick!"

"Lenalee is right," Komui sighed. "You've put an exorcist out of commission for the next twenty-four hours."

"Oh believe me," Lavi beamed wickedly. "It'll be longer than twenty-four hours."

* * *

That was really too much fun to write.

Reviews are much appreciated. And motivational.

~Sophia


	6. Iris

Good afternoon, bunnies. What fun, what fun.

Anyways, Kanda is probably OOC in this... If not unusually emotional.

Playlist update: The title of this chapter corresponds to the song "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls. I wrote the chapter while listening to the song.

* * *

Half an hour later—by some miracle unbeknownst to even god himself—Allen stumbled upon the fifth level training room. (Most of the castle was located underground; it was actually larger level-wise than their previous location had been. Which was scary when one thought about it.)

Still more than a bit tipsy, the white haired teen pranced through a set of mahogany doors and into the dojo-inspired space.

Rice paper shoji panels lined the side walls, and artificial lights had been placed behind them to give the illusion of the space being above ground; however, these were currently turned off, and the only light that graced elegant design spilled through the open double doors from the hallway.

"Kanda-chan?" Came a very-innocent and uncharacteristically confident voice.

The swordsman's eyes shot open, catching on the shadowed outline of a small body in the doorway.

_And so it begins_, Kanda thought.

"It's just Kanda," the Japanese man growled irritably. "And whatever it is, the answer is no. Now screw off, Moyashi."

"Awe," Allen whined childishly. "You didn't even let me ask, you grouchy old man!"

"Says the one with white hair!" Kanda shot back.

"Come on," the boy pleaded. "Won't you even let me ask?" To the swordsman's dismay, Allen's voice was growing closer… Which meant that whatever the freak-boy was doing, Lavi had obviously put him up to it; Allen would not have persisted if the damned rabbit was not involved.

"You deaf, Sprout? I said get lost!"

"Come on, Yuu. Aren't you even a little bit curious?" The voice was now mere centimeters from the man's face. Kanda growled, springing to his feet and drawing his beloved katana, Mugen.

"You die now, insect!" the Japanese man proclaimed, aiming an attack at the boy. Allen dodged effortlessly, still smiling.

"I just wanted you to come to the party. Yeesh. You might as well enjoy yourself every once in a while…" The silver-haired boy slipped past Kanda's ruthless, enraged attacks without a bat of the eye.

One after the other, Kanda's attacks became a seamless dance of failed attempts. No matter how many the swordsman threw at the boy, Allen never even came within a foot of the blade, and that sickening, fake smile was still glued to the boy's lips.

"Please?" Allen nagged, breathing regularly. Mugen slipped past the shorter exorcist's head again.

"Die already!" Kanda screamed, bringing the sword down vertically over the beansprout's head.

Suddenly, the blade halted, caught from the top by the cursed left hand of said white-haired exorcist.

The boy appeared deep in thought. "No, I don't feel like dying right now, Yuu-kun," the boy hummed with another smile.  
"It's Kanda you bastard!" The Japanese man roughly pulled his weapon back and aimed for the boy's head again, only to be blocked a second time.

"I told you, baKanda: I don't feel like dying right now."

"The fucking rabbit put you up to this, didn't he," Kanda hissed, grabbing the boy's collar and dragging Allen's throat up to the blade of his katana.

"No," Allen answered, coolly, prompting the swordsman to tighten his grip on the smaller exorcist's shirt. "I just thought you might want to join the festivities," Allen giggled.

Because of the proximity of the boy's face, Kanda finally noticed the scent of alcohol on Allen's breath.

Wordlessly, he released the boy and sheathed his sword. "Leave," the swordsman ordered, heading back into his dark corner.

Allen decided he would sit and meditate with Kanda, who simply glared and returned to his breathing exercises.

After forty five minutes of silence, the white-haired boy spoke.

"I have something to tell you," Allen announced, sounding far more sober. "I love you, Kanda." At the boy's sudden confession, the swordsman's cheeks turned a very light shade of pink, and he crossed his arms, facing away from the boy.

"Find your room and go to sleep already! You're totally intoxicated, idiot!" The Japanese man snapped back, keeping his eyes away from the face that he knew would show no trace of inebriation, the eyes that would be perfectly clear, the half-smile that ruined Allen's boyish disposition and turned him into something that wasn't quite young or ingenuous anymore, the same thing that made the boy a destroyer, regardless of how many lives he had saved or how much love he held for both human and akuma life.

Allen was completely sober. Kanda didn't even need to see the boy's face to know that his blood stream was already completely pure, that Allen's thoughts—the boy's words were all his own, free from the rose-hued tint of alcohol.

"Actually, Master and I used to play drinking games whenever we got into an argument. For some reason," the smaller exorcist recollected, "everything turned into the 'who's going to be sicker in the morning?' contest…" Kanda remained silent, unsure of how he should react or how he even wanted to react. "Funny…" Kanda allowed himself one glance at the white-haired boy, noting both immense joy and pain on the boy's face. "I never lost…"

Much to the stoic swordsman's horror, gleaming tears appeared on the boy's cheeks as Allen gazed longingly into the darkness.

_Stop that, _the samurai thought.

"Well, I guess if you don't want to answer, you don't have to. I already know how you feel about me so I guess it never really mattered in the first place," Allen said, rising to his feet. "I just wanted… I wanted you to know before I'm gone."

Kanda felt like someone was driving bamboo slivers underneath his fingernails. _Why? Why does the Moyashi have to be so much like __**him**__?_

The white-haired boy was already halfway across the room when Kanda recovered from his state of shock.

"Idiot!" The swordsman shouted, springing to his feet and darting to obscure the exit. "What are you talking about?" Kanda grabbed the boy's shoulders, shoving him roughly into the wall. "I thought you weren't going to let that bastard get control of you! Don't just give up now, dumbass!"_ Stop_, Kanda ordered. _Stop for god's sake! _

Allen's brilliant silver irises met the swordsman's, painted with sorrow and surrender.

Endless tears made the journey down Allen's flushed cheeks and slipped from his jawline onto the boy's collar.

The only sound that filled the silence was that of Allen's broken, wretched sobs, and to Kanda, they were torture beyond hell.

That moan and hiccup…the sound was universal—the sensation, the action, the pain—pain was universal. No matter how many years passed, how many lives Kanda had seen, how many times he had been brought back into the world, the pain never changed.

And it never ended.

Pain was the same now on the face of the white-haired teen as it had been on the swordsman's back when the Order had forced his synchronization with Innocence, the same as it had been on _his_face, and the same as it would always be on any face, regardless of age or wisdom or power. Hell.

That boy's face brought back _his_face, brought back _those_days—_that _place.

"Idiot! Stop crying!" Kanda screamed.

The sound endured; the bludgeoning continued.

"Stop! Fuck, Allen…stop." The swordsman bit down on his bottom lip, gripping the boy's arms fiercely.

When the sound did not cease, Kanda's tortured subconscious broke free of the man's meticulously constructed barriers, overriding pride, apprehension, and thought alike as he gathered Allen's trembling frame into his arms and crushed their lips together.

For those moments, the world didn't matter. Allen wasn't the fourteenth, and Kanda wasn't a second exorcist. They weren't pawns of knights or bishops or exorcists; they were just two people in millions, two faces in the crowd, unaffected by the world around them and held in their moment of stillness by mutual longing and agony.

The pain and desperation that had initiated the action dissipated when the white-haired boy relaxed, giving into the pressure of the swordsman's exceptional strength and deepening the kiss.

After several seconds passed in stillness, Kanda allowed his eyelids to slip open. The Japanese swordsman gazed indifferently at the peacefully closed eyes before him.

_So much for 'never again_,' Kanda mused bitterly, closing his eyes once more. _At least the idiot shut up…_

In the blank-minded, placid silence, when Kanda finally allowed himself to think that the situation might not be as horrible as it seemed, the foretell shadow of a human body marred the perfect slit of golden light that streaked across the floor, accompanied by a blissful, energetic voice that could belong to none other than a certain oh-so-smug to-be-bookman whose name began with a god damn 'l,' which Kanda could not properly pronounce. If there was a god, he had _purposely _chosen to begin the red-head's name with an 'l,' just to make Kanda's day that little bit more troublesome.

The swordsman already had issues with god—if there was one. But now, in addition to paying the swordsman back for the Black Order, the Earl, the Noah, Alma's death, and possibly the Fourteenth, Kanda decided that whatever god there was owed him compensation for creating the damned rabbit…_substantial_ compensation.

A second voice accompanied Lavi's...

* * *

Okay, so there's a lot of fluff in this... Like... enough to stuff a couple thousand pillows. Fluff: good? bad? too much? too little?

I know you guys are reading this. Anyways, maybe you'd be more happy to answer a question.

Alright! So here's the poll!

Who should the second voice belong to? If no one comments in the next week, I'll decide myself, but otherwise, majority wins! Lenalee? Komui? Link? Bookman? Rohfa? Lvellie? Just some of my ideas... I have a plan for Link, so I'll probably end up writing an alternate for him anyways...

But Komui would be funny too...

Well, let me know... If you actually read this.


	7. The Black Order

Good afternoon, bunnies! How are you all?

It is a blistering summer day, and, as usual, your lovely, vampire-pale Sophia has holed herself up in the cold house with a cup of coffee and the laptop. What a productive day...

Anyways, bunnies, enjoy! This is all for you, my lovelies! Oh... and there's fluff in this one :D Fluffy fluff-fluffety-fluff-fluff.

* * *

The swordsman already had issues with god—if there was one. But now, in addition to paying him back for the Black Order, the Earl, the Noah, Alma's death, and possibly the Fourteenth, Kanda decided that whatever god there was owed him compensation for creating the damned rabbit…_substantial_ compensation.

Breaking off their kiss abruptly and putting a few feet's distance between him and Allen, Kanda turned to glare malignly at a much-less-than-welcome party of— _the idiot just had to bring the entire Black Order_— ten.

"Hey, Link," Lavi smirked, deviously. "Don't you think this deserves some _notes_?" Kanda's long, blue-black hair shimmered in the low light as his blade found its way to the redhead's throat in less than a breath's time, threatening the skin with just enough pressure to be extremely uncomfortable without drawing blood.

The white haired boy glanced up tentatively, and, spotting Lenalee's shoulder length, black hair; Kristia's soft, blonde spikes; Tiedoll's messy, silver afro; Krory and Miranda's alarmingly pink cheeks; Marie's shining headphones; and the analytical, black-rimmed eyes of Bookman, suddenly decided that the floor in the training room was inexplicably interesting, and examined it closely, knowing that—without a doubt—his face was redder than Cross' long, meticulously styled hair.

"Any last words, Rabbit?" The raven-haired man growled, cobalt eyes gleaming with icy wrath.

"What Mr. Walker chooses to do in his free time is none of my concern," a certain blushing, blonde inspector cut in skillfully, gently pushing the samurai's blade away from Lavi's throat.

Kanda shot Link a cringe-worthy look, but sheathed his Innocence and crossed his arms, glaring at the wall with the adamant intent to set the rice paper on fire, merely using his thoughts.

Komui cleared his throat loudly, staring at a point just beyond the swordsman's head.

"I am terribly sorry for…interrupting, but I have a mission for the nine of you that cannot wait until morning," the Chinese man announced. "Please follow me to my office."

* * *

Komui unlocked his office, ushered the ten in, closed the door quietly behind them, and proceeded to journey through the winding labyrinth of paper to his untidy desk, where he sat down, placing a clean-cut, manila file onto the barely-workable surface in front of him.

"I will be blunt; the Noahs Rhode Kamelot, Lulu Bell, and Tyki Mikk have appeared in Sicily with a large group of Akuma, including at least one level four.

"You," the supervisor stated, blankly, "are to eradicate the akuma army and force the Noah back into their Arc. Bookman will accompany you, along with Link. Kill them if you can, but don't do so at the expense of an exorcist's life. Are my instructions clear?"

Standing shoulder to shoulder in the cramped space, Krory, Miranda, Lenalee, Lavi, Bookman, Link, Allen, Kanda, Tiedoll, Marie, and Kristia nodded their approval.

"Five third exorcists and several members of CROW will join you when you board the train in Paris. Total, that's a group of twenty-one and almost all of our remaining forces here, so finish the job as quickly as you can and don't get killed.

"Lvellie has issued an order that Allen is not to open the Arc. You are to head out to the bridge immediately after getting changed." Komui let out a long sigh. "Be careful."

"We will, Brother. I promise," Lenalee smiled, clearing the desk easily—training with the dark boots had its advantages—to catch the anxious supervisor in a tight hug. "Happy birthday," the dark-haired girl whispered.

* * *

"Kanda?" Allen's small voice asked.

The other seven members of their party had only just disappeared when the white haired boy's voice broke the silence, but Link hovered several yards behind the pair, allowing them to converse in relative privacy.

"Che. What, Moyashi?" Kanda grumbled, frowning.

"Why are you still following me? I thought your room was down the hall we just passed," Allen replied, curiously.

"In case you didn't notice, idiot, I'm actually wearing practical clothing," the dark-haired teen snapped back. "And I don't want to go out and freeze my ass off in that damned storm," Kanda finished, jerking his head in the direction of an enormous window to their side.

True to the samurai's words, sheets of rain and hail swept across the isolated island, forming a curtain of grey that was almost completely opaque.

"But don't you need to stop at your room to grab some extra clothes?"

Kanda drew in a tense breath. "The idiot rabbit has my room key." This was all the explanation that was necessary on Kanda's part. It was—of course—implied that Lavi would be packing for the swordsman…because if the red-head didn't, Kanda might actually kill him rather than just dealing out the usual hurricane of death-threats.

"Oh," was the white haired boy's only response, as he stared down at his feet, still heavily blushing at what had ensued only a few minutes prior.

_Might as well announce it to the entire Black Order, for god's sake_, Allen groaned inwardly, remembering how smug Lavi's face had been and likely still was.

The next few weeks were going to be hell, not just due to the mission, but thanks to the fact that, though Miranda, Krory, Link, Bookman, and Kristia probably wouldn't bring anything up—Tiedoll and Marie both wore suspiciously pleased expressions—Lavi and Lenalee were never going to let the already-insecure, parasitic exorcist live it down.

At a purposeful pace, the trio soon reached Allen's room. Hastily, the cursed boy shoved his key into the lock, twisted it, and pushed an earsplittingly creaky door open into the comfortable, darkened room.

Kanda followed behind the boy, stopping in the door frame and causing the sixteen-year-old to turn around and mutter, agitatedly, "you can either go out or come in. Make up your mind."

Link observed from across the hall as the swordsman took a few careful steps into the room and clicked the door shut behind him.

Kanda's eyes wandered as the boy pulled a small, leather suitcase from the wardrobe and hastily crammed some changes of clothes and a few toiletries into it before yanking it closed and fastening the latches with a metallic click.

Only when Allen began hurriedly stripping off his three-piece suit did the swordsman's gaze cease its journey around the too-tidy room, latching on to the newly exposed, milky-white skin of Allen's back.

Dark eyes secretly trailed over the boy's slight but well-toned frame, studying an underlying grace in Allen's rushed movements.

All too perceptive of the world around him, the younger exorcist threw a wary glance at the swordsman, who immediately averted his eyes and grunted something inaudible at the stone wall.

Allen felt the blood rush back into his face, though the boy's lips turned slightly up at the corners, forming a small, embarrassed smile.

"Hurry it up, Moyashi. We don't have all day," Kanda grumbled, still refusing to look at the boy, even though Allen was mostly dressed by then and was fumbling with the red ribbon around his neck.

Moodily, the swordsman marched over, took the crimson tie into his sword-callused hands, and tied it with refined prowess.

"Let's go," Kanda mumbled, heading towards the door.

Impulsively, Allen's hand shot out to halt the man in his tracks. "Kanda?"

"Hm?"

Allen paused a moment, gazing down at his feet. "Thank you," the boy whispered, stealing a single, chaste kiss from the swordsman. Allen pulled away quickly, a sweet smile on his angelic lips.

Their eyes met for a moment, before Kanda looked away, returning to the door. "Che. Whatever, idiot," Kanda replied blankly, pulling the door open.

Caught off guard, a startled, red-headed bookman stumbled through, catching his balance just in time to avoid being impaled by the wicked-sharp weapon of a more-than-pissed and barely-blushing swordsman, who continued his assault, throwing the blade into a deadly arc, which Lavi parried with his Innocence, ducking behind Allen's small figure and smiling all the while.

"Awe, come on Yuu. I'm happy for you and Allen!" The red-head beamed. "Besides," Lavi added. "I just came to bring you your suitcase. I packed it for ya!" Kanda eyed the trunk in the Bookman's left hand, strode over, ripped it from the red-head's grip, and stormed out of the room, growling profanities as he made his way out onto the grounds, Allen, Lavi, and Link following closely behind.

* * *

Why stop at one? Why not bring the entire Black Order?


	8. Closing Walls and Ticking Clocks

Hello, bunnies~ I felt good yesterday, so this is a 2000+ worder

Fluff, obnoxious Lavi's, traveling, Tiedoll, and some swearing

Enjoy, bunnies~~~

* * *

Travel by train was always obnoxious …especially when it was completely unnecessary and only enforced because Lvellie was such a paranoid ass; undoubtedly so, for the train from Headquarters' neighboring city to Southampton was nearly completely booked; and also because a certain red-headed rabbit spent most of the trip (Kanda had been landed in the same compartment as Lavi, Allen, Link, Lenalee, and Bookman) expressing his displeasure at Kanda's vitriolic tendencies… vociferously.

"Come on Yuu—" Lavi climbed into his lap, pinning the swordsman's wrists to the seat.

"Don't call me that!" Kanda, having his hands tied up, aimed his only available limb (Lavi was sitting on one of his legs) at the rabbit's midsection.

"I wanna know details!" Lavi whined, catching the swordsman's shin between his ankles with little to no effort.

"I said no!" Kanda shouted, untangling his limbs from the junior Bookman's death grip and shoving the unrelenting man gruffly to the other side of the expensively upholstered, cushioned bench and almost into Lenalee, with an irritated growl.

Persistently, the rabbit hopped right back, wearing the same, stupid grin on his face, prompting the swordsman to leap to his feet and draw his beloved Mugen. Silver metal streaked through the air, narrowly missing Lavi's left ear before returning in the opposite direction with twice the force.

"Kanda!" Lenalee yelped concernedly.

Lavi's smiling face twisted, and he released a hiss of pain as Innocence blade slipped cleanly through the sleeve of his uniform and slid across the skin below, leaving a long, thin line of crimson across the man's deltoid.

"Enough," Bookman huffed, small body springing into the air, trained hands striking the two upside their heads. The irritated Bookman returned to his meditation, closing his dark-rimmed eyes and lifting his short legs back onto the cushion.

Reluctantly, Kanda sank back down into his seat, throwing a dangerous death-glare at the red-haired exorcist and sighing when Allen's silky, silver-white locks touched down on his shoulder and the boy's peaceful, sleeping form pressed against his side, one petite hand finding its way to the swordsman's.

A blonde-haired inspector sat across from them, observing indifferently, much contrasting with Lavi, who had perched himself precariously on the edge of his seat, craning his torso far out into the compartment.

"So tell me," Lavi smirked, rocking back and forth excitedly.

"Screw off!" Kanda roared back, his temper about to snap. Then the swordsman's eyes darted to Lenalee. Her delicate hands slid across Lavi's coat as she wove her needle through it in tiny, even stitches, pulling the tear back together. "And mend your own clothing, Baka Usagi—"

"Shhhh…" Lavi warned, clamping a firm hand down over Kanda's frowning lips. "Or you'll wake up Allen." _How the hell he can sleep through this_, the swordsman thought_, I will never understand. Che. Letting his guard down—you wouldn't let anything happen to him—that's not the fucking point! _"Yuu?" a dismayed red-head waved his hand around in front of the Japanese man's nose. "Yuu?" _Snap out of it!_

"Don't call me that!"

The compartment door slid open noisily, revealing a coal-eyed, edgy finder, who announced to Bookman, Lavi, Link, Kanda, and a sleeping Allen in a shaky voice: "Uh…w-we'll reach the p-port in about f-five minutes." The raven-haired man glared mercilessly at said finder, who fidgeted with the cuff of his heavy, off-white, trench-coat and shook his long, untidy mop of brunette curls into his face, obscuring the pair of deep-set, charcoal orbs. "And G-General T-Tiedoll would like to s-speak to 'Yuu-kun?'"

"What did you just call me?" Kanda hissed, jerking to his feet and accidentally letting a sleeping-Allen fall onto the bench. The boy woke with a startled yelp.

"I'm so sorry!" The finder cried, bowing. "I'm new to the Order, and I still don't know who most of you are! I swear I'm just repeating what the general—"

"My name is Kanda, and if you ever call me that again, expect to lose your head," the swordsman said icily, shoving past the finder as he stalked moodily into the neighboring compartment, where Tiedoll sat, waiting for him.

Momentarily confused, Allen glanced around the compartment, his eyes stopping on the heavily blushing finder who stood paralyzed in the doorway.

"Don't mind Kanda," Allen advised the horrified finder. "Traveling makes him a bit irritable," The silver-eyed boy laughed nervously.

"What doesn't," Lavi groaned, apathetically rolling his emerald eye and leaning into the window. An awkward, silent moment ensued.

"So," Allen transitioned, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "I'm Allen. What's your name?"

* * *

Miranda, Krory, Marie, and Kristia were currently engaged in some sort of card game, occupying most of the small compartment. Every once in a while, one would let out a groan, surrendering a hard-earned portion of dinged-up, multicolor poker chips to the round's winner. Kristia was currently leading; an unstable, unorganized mountain of disks almost entirely concealed her pixie-like frame.

"Yuu-kun," Tiedoll greeted, putting on his signature smile.

"Don't call me that," the swordsman growled, his voice lacking the usual acid most always carried.

"Why don't we take a stroll?" Froi suggested, ruffling his disheveled, silver hair.

"To where?" Kanda grumbled. "We'll be at the port in less than five minutes."

"True…"  
"What's this about anyways?" Kanda huffed.

The general smiled. "I want to hear about my son's love life, of course," Tiedoll replied gleefully.

"Damn you all!" Kanda threw open the compartment door and stormed back out.

"Alright. You can tell me all about it later," Tiedoll called happily after him.

* * *

After crossing the English Channel, nine exorcists, an inspector, and Bookman found themselves on another train ride, which was mercifully far less crowded than the first, and that ran straight through to Italy. Well…almost straight through; their train stopped in Paris and Bern for a few hours each as well as making several short stops along the way.

A certain short-tempered, long-haired swordsman had—without hesitation—located the sleeping car, darted in to an empty room, and slammed the door closed behind him. No light entered the tiny space, nor did any sound.

Kanda's hand slipped into the deep pocket of his long coat to retrieve a gleaming, silver pocket watch, which he clicked open. _One thirty in the morning_. After not having slept in days, the swordsman had just begun to feel the effects.

Kanda's movements were sluggish, his eyes heavy, and his thoughts cloudy as he reviewed himself on the mission details and reasoned out why their party had not yet encountered even a level one.

_Their congregating in Italy explains an overall absence in the rest of Europe, so an hour of sleep couldn't be all that terrible, _the Japanese man decided, settling himself into a comfortable position on one of the beds (which included fussing with his long, dark hair so that he wouldn't wake up with severe bed-head), closing his obsidian eyes.

Just as the sleep-deprived samurai began to slip under, the lean body of a white-haired, silver-eyed, parasitic-type moyashi appeared in the entrance and a small, anxious question with it.

"Kanda?" Allen asked.

"Who else would it be, Moyashi?" A sonorous, impassive voice returned.

"It's Allen, baKanda. A-L-L-E-N! Is it really that hard to say?"

"You're a 's the end of it. Now keep it down; this is a sleeping car."

"Were you asleep?"

"Not really," Kanda sighed, dragging himself into an upright position on the hardly-agreeable bed. "What do you want?"

"General Tiedoll—"

"The answer is no," the swordsman grumbled, sinking back into the sheets.

"Aren't you going to let my finish?" Allen exclaimed.

"No."

"If I didn't know any better," the parasitic-type exorcist taunted, "I'd say that you're afraid of talking to Tiedoll!"

"As if, Baka Moyashi!"

"You're hiding in the sleeping car!"

"I haven't slept in three god-damned days!"

"That's your problem, not mine, you arrogant bastard!"

"What did you call me?!" Kanda leapt out of the raised cot, landing and drawing Mugen in one seamless, graceful movement.

* * *

"Well, I'm going to go get something to eat," The silver-haired general announced.

"But General," Lavi began. Tiedoll had already risen to his feet, heading towards the compartment door. "Allen's not back with Kanda yet."

"Hm. You're right." The general appeared to contemplate it for a moment, then shrugged it off with an almost unnoticeable (this did not slip passed the Bookmen) smirk.

"Would anyone like to come get food with me?" Tiedoll asked, popping his head into the neighboring booths.

"I'll come!" Krory announced, enthusiastically.

"Me too," Lenalee smiled. Marie, Kristia Bookman, and Miranda joined in as well.

"What about you, Link?" Tiedoll inquired of the blonde inspector who was currently making his way down the aisle in the opposite direction.

"Walker hasn't come back yet, which concerns me," the inspector stated, blankly.

"I'm sure he's fine," the art-loving general replied, adopting a subtly persuasive tone. "So come ahead with us, won't you?"

"I should really find Walker—"

"Don't be obstinate," Tiedoll grumbled, grabbing hold of the inspector's hood to drag him along.

Then it dawned on Lavi.

"You weren't expecting them to come back, were you?" The red-head realized, with a wide grin.

In response, Tiedoll offered: "those two need some quality alone time," chuckling quietly to himself as he headed towards the mouthwatering scent of grilled eggplant.

* * *

What had begun as a verbal quarrel quickly transitioned into a physical brawl.

Kanda lashed out with Mugen, and Allen parried with his Clown Belt, throwing back an attack of his own, which the swordsman avoided with practiced dexterity, muddled, choppy insults flying like daggers between the two all the while.

Mugen hooked back in a quick assault to Allen's stomach, but the silver-eyed boy adjusted slightly, causing the blade to travel in a fruitless arc, due to all the momentum Kanda had put into it.

This left Kanda's right side open and Allen aimed a kick at the man's ribcage, only to be swiftly blocked by the swordsman, who took the opportunity to land a blow square on Allen's chest, knocking the boy off balance; the swordsman had foreseen and planned the entire sequence only moments before.

What Kanda did not expect, however, was the frantic, gloved hand that shot out and caught hold of his long, black hair, yanking it roughly as the parasitic exorcist fell. Kanda immediately surrendered to the force, landing heavily on top of the boy.

"Fuck," the swordsman swore in pain. "Moyashi," he snarled dangerously.

"Ouch," Allen moaned, his head throbbing violently.

Kanda let out a hiss. "Let go of my hair, brat!"

"S-sorry," Allen mumbled apologetically, releasing his hold on the blue-black locks.

"Che," Kanda spat. "Whatever." Both remained quiet for a moment, each trying to catch their breath after having the fall knock the wind out of their lungs. When Allen's breathing evened out, he recognized that Kanda was on top of him and that their faces were nothing more than a few centimeters apart. This fact alone caused the boy to completely forget the pounding in his temples as blood quickly rushed to his cheeks.

"What, Moyashi?" Kanda growled, annoyed by the boy's silence.

"Nothing, baKanda," Allen shot back, glaring icily, extremely thankful that the darkness hid his obvious blush. "The floor just isn't that comfortable," The white-haired boy groaned.

_So whiny_, Kanda noted with a smirk. Half irritated, half distressed, the look on Allen's face was irresistible. _Don't you dare start this crap again, _Kanda warned himself. The white haired boy let out a tiny whimper as he attempted to shift his left leg out of the awkward, painful angle it was presently bent into._ Shit._

That did it. Just as Headquarters was not properly equipped to defend against Komui's mad, experimental robots, the barriers of Kanda Yuu's mind were not fortified to withstand the forces of Allen Walker.

"Mm," Kanda's baritone voice hummed. "I could agree with that, Moyashi." The gentle notes in Kanda's tone caused Allen, who was more than a little heated and flustered by then, to shiver as goose bumps ran down the length of his body.

"It's Allen, baKanda!" The sixteen-year-old snapped back, averting his gaze from the swordsman's piercing, black eyes.

Carefully, Kanda wrapped one hand around to the small of Allen's back, placing the other under the boy's neck as he drew them both back to their feet and pulled the smaller frame flat against his own.

"Kanda?" Allen asked, shakily.

"Mm?"

"You never gave me an answer," the boy replied quietly.

"To what?" The raven-haired man asked, puzzled.

"Yesterday," Allen mumbled. "When I told you I loved you—" The silver-eyed boy cut off abruptly, tensing in the swordsman's strong embrace.

"Just say what you're thinking already, Moyashi. My patience is running short," Kanda muttered crossly.

"You never told me how you felt," the boy whispered.

"Che," Kanda snorted. "Feelings aren't exactly my thing if you hadn't noticed."

_Oh hell no. _

Allen looked up at him, cheeks flushed, pink lips pushed into a small pout, eyebrows knitted together, and for the first time in quite a while, _The Feeling_, made an appearance.

"Damn it, Moyashi…" _Why does he have to go and make that face! _"I'm not saying it a second time, so you'd better god-damned listen, got it?" The parasitic boy nodded his head vigorously.

_I'm only saying this to appease you!_ Kanda barked at _The Feeling_.

"I love you, _Aren_." The silver-eyed boy shuddered at the use of his own name, his _actual_ name.

Kanda Yuu—cold, stoic, arrogant, bastardly, moody, suave, sexy Kanda Yuu used his _real_ name.

_This has to be a dream_, the boy thought, slightly lightheaded.

"I love you too, Kanda," Allen breathed.

"Che. Don't call me that; you're voice sounds too much like Lenalee's." _What the hell are you saying? _Kanda's inner voice shouted.

"Then what am I supposed to call you, baKanda?" Allen asked, rolling his eyes.

"Yuu." _Why can't you just shut up? _

Allen's face went sheet white. "You're not serious, are you?" The boy questioned, hesitantly.

"Weren't you livstening, idiot? If it's just you and mew, call me Yuu." Kanda turned his head to the side, casting a feral glare at the poor, unsuspecting pillow that Allen swore would have picked itself up and bolted if it only could have.

Allen's perfect lips spread into a heartbreaking smile, and he closed his eyes, tightly hugging the raven-haired swordsman.

"I love you…Yuu." Allen's sweet voice sang. The name felt smooth as liquid on Allen's tongue, and the cursed boy instantly decided that he loved the sound of it.

* * *

So... How was it?

Please review the work of lowly writer. She giggles and fangirls when you do ^-^


	9. Innocent Sorrow

Here's the next chapie~

Uhhh yeah. So I didn't beta this before publishing. Please spare my life for my horrendous mistakes. *Now corrected*

It's pathetically short, but I have a migraine and as soon as I reached a natural break I thought to myself: "Screw it. This is as far as I'm going tonight, and I need to publish before my readers cut me into small pieces and feed me to a tank of ravenous sharks."

So here it is. With some fluff and some mischief and a good dose of a certain Usagi, who just happens to be in all the right places at just the right times.

PLAYLIST UPDATE: Innocent Sorrow-Abingdon Boys School (Just happens to be a -Man opening song).

Enjoy, my bunnies. And feel free to tell me that I need to start writing more.

* * *

Though nothing could compare to Jerry's culinary expertise, dining on the train wasn't bad…though it would be extremely unlikely to find Kanda anywhere near food that wasn't soba.

Allen on the other hand…

"Wait," Miranda interjected, "where's Allen?"

"Yeah, it's weird that he isn't here," Lenalee mumbled, studying the I-so-know-something-you-don't expression on Lavi's face.

"It's not like Moyashi-chan to miss a meal," the smirking junior Bookman agreed.

"Why do I get the feeling you know something I don't," the Chinese girl muttered.

"I'm sure he's doing just fine right now, Lenalee," Tiedoll said with a warm, knowing smile.

The Dark Boot's accommodator narrowed her eyes suspiciously at a silent, stolid Marie.

"I know you know what's going on, Marie," the Chinese exorcist began.

"Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to sa,y" Marie apologized, sadly.

Kristia looked up from her dish. "Kanda didn't come with us either," the small blonde voiced from the neighboring table.

"Yeah, but that's not surprising," Lenalee grumbled, spearing a bite of pork violently.

"Now, Lenalee-chan, why ever do you sound so serious?" The junior Bookman asked, fighting the urge to smile.

"Because I'm worried and none of you will tell me anything," the girl exclaimed, throwing down her fork.

"Do you really want to know?" Lavi immediately dropped his act, voice adopting deliciously dark notes and lips stretching into an unsettling smirk.

"Yes!" Lavi climbed onto his chair and leaned over the table to whisper in the girl's ear, finishing with another smirk as he sat back down and waited for realization to hit her.

The rabbit knew he was victorious when a deep, crimson blush settled across her fair cheeks.

"Oh," she whispered.

"What is it?" Miranda, Krory, and Kristia inquired simultaneously, looking towards the newly enlightened, blushing exorcist, who found herself at a loss of words.

Lavi snickered quietly.

* * *

Skin for addicting contact, lips for unrestrained passion. Admiration for love, hurt for comfort, frustration for solace, pain for pleasure and an addicting, addicting state of blankness that washed both minds free of agony, intermingling their thoughts until neither knew which hand was whose, what heartbeat belonged to whom, or where among the many they really were.

Worries lingered in the gentleness of slender fingers against scarred skin. Confessions hid behind curtains of sapphire and silver.

_"Aren..." _A soft-spoken word against swollen lips-a decadent accent-a name-deliciously pronounced and arousing.

Oxygen lured their lips apart, but the path was never obscured, never lost.

Somewhere in between, several garments had been discarded, revealing one Japanese Greek god and one perfectly toned, British canvas, decorated by countless shadows of battles past.

Strong, sword callused hands traversed Allen's spine, eliciting a small moan from the smaller.

"Kanda..." An irritated sigh responded bringing forth a fateful memory from the haze of Allen Walkers mind. "Yuu..."

"Mm."

Parted lips left clearance for the swordsman's tongue, which slipped dexterously into the younger's mouth and explored with hinted aggression but passivity enough to drive the silver-eyed teen mad.

And Allen pressed back lustfully, not caring when gentle caresses turned bruising or that the lips on his throat exposed teeth which left blooming traces in their wake.

Silver eyes snapped open. "Yuu-chan!" The compartment door swung in, unveiling the expecting face of a way-too-fucking-pleased, redheaded rabbit.

"No" Kanda growled murderously, slamming the door back in place and shifting the lock closed_. Not this time, Usagi._

* * *

Reviews appreciated by girl who needs to go to bed now...xD

Until next time, my bunnies.


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